Whether your idea of holiday fun this Thanksgiving break is indulging in an old favorite romcom, celebrating World Cup season with an investigative look at the FIFA organization, or diving into a fascinating new fantasy world, you’ve got plenty of options across streaming platforms. Happy Turkey Day, and happy streaming!
What to watch on Netflix
FIFA Uncovered
If you’re kicking off your holiday weekend with some excitement from the ongoing FIFA World Cup, you may want to look at FIFA Uncovered for a little extra intrigue in between games. This docuseries tracks some of the soccer organization’s shadier transactions, highlighting everything from corruption charges to suspicions surrounding the most recent host nations. Basically, modern soccer is seedy, and there are men in suits who (allegedly) love a bribe here and a loaded handshake deal there. Aren’t sports fun? FIFA Uncovered premiered earlier this month and is streaming now.
What to watch on Hulu
Dual
This quirky science fiction film sees Karen Gillan face off against herself. Gillan stars as Sarah, a woman who finds out she’s terminally ill and decides to get herself cloned to make the grieving process easier for her loved ones. But when Sarah finds out that she’s miraculously gone into remission, she encounters a new problem: her clone doesn’t want to be decommissioned. In this parallel universe, the way to settle such a clone debacle is a duel to the death between doubles, so Sarah has a lot of work to do before she can get her old life back. Dual premiered on streaming earlier this week.
Notting Hill
Thanksgiving is the perfect time for comfort food, so why not a comfort movie? Notting Hill is a perennial romcom favorite, what with its knockout pairing of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and its modern fairy tale love story — what happens when a London bookstore owner meets an A-list actress? Will they fall for each other despite their wildly different lives? Can they keep up their relationship in the face of paparazzi, shooting schedules, and the complex demands of fame? You already know the answer. Notting Hill will be streaming until the end of the month.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
Good Night Oppy
A documentary with a distinctly WALL-E flavor, Good Night Oppy follows the unpredictable journey of a Mars rover. Opportunity (aka Oppy) the rover was sent to Mars in 2003, with NASA only expecting the little bot to last about 90 days on the planet. However, good ol’ Oppy managed to operate on Mars for almost 15 years. The documentary combines archival footage, interviews with the scientists involved, and visually imaginative recreations of Oppy’s journeys across Mars. Heartfelt and infused with the spirit of adventure that powered Oppy and its creators, Good Night Oppy strikes a chord that is equally emotional and educational. Good Night Oppy premiered earlier this week.
What to watch on HBO Max
42
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever out in the world to honor the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, you would be doing yourself a favor in watching 42, one of the actor’s best showcases. This biopic stars Boseman as legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, centering on his rise to greatness as a new member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The film chronicles much of the racist abuse that Robinson faced and managed to rise above as the first Black player in the major leagues, from vitriolic crowds to bigoted managers. Aside from Boseman, the film features Harrison Ford, André Holland, and Christopher Meloni. 42 streams until the end of the month.
What to watch on Disney Plus
Willow
A series based on a dark fantasy film from 1988 hardly seems like a big-ticket item for streamers, but Willow begs to differ. This new show comes as a sort of sequel to the largely forgotten film of the same name, a fascinating collaboration between George Lucas, Ron Howard, and the rapidly advancing visual effects technology made by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). The series sees a group of unlikely heroes, from a sorcerer to a thief to a maid, as they come together to save the world. Willow premieres Wednesday, November 30th.
What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.